Testing expert to RE parents: More work doesn't mean higher scores
Ransom Everglades parents heard from a national expert on standardized testing who offered tips on how they and their children could successfully – and calmly and efficiently – navigate the standarized testing challenges that accompany the college admission process. Adam Ingersoll, principal at the Compass Education Group, addressed a packed Pagoda on Feb. 25, making it clear that, when it comes to the ACT and SAT, more labor doesn't mean more success.
He advised a strategic and even surgical approach to both selecting a test – he advised taking either the SAT or ACT but not both – and preparing for it. The primary mistake parents make, he said, is sending their children into test prep too early and overdoing it, creating undue anxiety and running into the wall of overpreparation.
"One of the most common mistakes I see is [parents] trying too hard," he said. "This is simply a hurdle to clear along the way to the next phase. It's not life or death.
Ingersoll provided information to help families figure out the best test for their child. He offered guidance on the SAT/ACT optional essays, subject tests and practice exams. He discussed strategies for improvement. He also advised parents to try to discern when to stop the preparation and test-taking, to understand when a child's ceiling had been reached.
Unlike in a history class, where conceivably every student could earn an A by working hard enough, Ingersoll said, the SAT and ACT can't be conquered with an onslaught of tutoring and repeat exams.
"This test is not like that, where a perfect score is available because of sheer will and hard work," he said. "If there wasn't something about the tests that resisted preparation, they would be far less useful to colleges."
Learn more about Compass Education here. Ransom Everglades offers free access to Prepworks for its families. RE students can explore Prepworks here using their RE student email and the password "prepworks."
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"One of the most common mistakes I see is [parents] trying too hard," he said. "This is simply a hurdle to clear along the way to the next phase. It's not life or death.
Ingersoll provided information to help families figure out the best test for their child. He offered guidance on the SAT/ACT optional essays, subject tests and practice exams. He discussed strategies for improvement. He also advised parents to try to discern when to stop the preparation and test-taking, to understand when a child's ceiling had been reached.
Unlike in a history class, where conceivably every student could earn an A by working hard enough, Ingersoll said, the SAT and ACT can't be conquered with an onslaught of tutoring and repeat exams.
"This test is not like that, where a perfect score is available because of sheer will and hard work," he said. "If there wasn't something about the tests that resisted preparation, they would be far less useful to colleges."
Learn more about Compass Education here. Ransom Everglades offers free access to Prepworks for its families. RE students can explore Prepworks here using their RE student email and the password "prepworks."
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2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
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Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.